Autodesk has announced that Fusion users will be soon be able to take advantage of nTop’s implicit modelling capabilities to enhance their models for lightweighting, improved thermal management, and the creation of complex architected materials.
The new feature will allow for the efficient transfer of sophisticated designs between the systems, with file sizes reportedly being reduced from gigabytes to megabytes.
The implicit import feature eliminates the need for large mesh files, making it easier to handle highly complex parts. By avoiding the meshing process, nTop users can export their implicit designs and quickly import them directly into Fusion.
Once into Fusion, its array of build preparation capabilities tailored for 3D printing – including part orientation, packing, support generation, slicing, machine-specific build file generation, and machine connectivity – can enhance the efficiency of the additive manufacturing processes.
Beyond additive manufacturing, Fusion’s CAM features allow users to manufacture nTop-designed parts using CNC machining, providing an extensive toolkit.
The integration’s implicit import functionality is not limited to manufacturing preparation, but also offers a bridge into Fusion’s process simulation toolset. Autodesk says that this will allow nTop users to access Fusion’s metal powder bed fusion process simulation capabilities to predict potential build failures and create compensated models.
“Many of our mutual customers are interested in how to include complex implicit designs in the digital thread, and nTop and Autodesk have joined forces to address this challenge collaboratively,” said Sualp Ozel, a senior product manager at Autodesk. “Through direct implicit data transfer, implicit designs can exist within CAD assemblies, making it possible to manage design data throughout the entire process.”
Autodesk plans for nTop integration to be part of a Fusion release in early 2024, but will be demoing the workflow at events including Formnext in Frankfurt, 7-10 November 2023.
Autodesk also harnesses the power of implicit modelling within Autodesk Fusion with the introduction of volumetric lattice capabilities included with the Product Design Extension. With this toolset, users can modify existing solid or mesh bodies to create complex volumetric lattices that alter the shape and appearance of a design.
